It is that time of year again. When I was a girl, Saint Patrick’s day was a holy day, not the commercial mess it has become in the USA. In addition to the green beer and stereotypes of drunken hooligans, … Continue reading →

One of the most viewed pages since 1997 when I created a music web site about Irish folk music, is the page on the history and lyrics for The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby. Click Here From the lyrics, “Sleep, O babe, … Continue reading →

Back in 2001, I had found an interesting discussion in a thread at Mudcat.org folk forum about the origin of this song. Several recordings in English are available, but as time went by in the discussion, it seems probable that … Continue reading →

In spring, we get wet snow over night, even though day time temperatures have been going up above freezing. The coating of snow is beautiful, but as leaves start to bud out, inevitably, branches are broken and trees fall all … Continue reading →

When my great grandparents, Peter Flynn and Bridget Keaveney Flynn, immigrated to America from Ireland, my great-grandfather came two years before the rest of the family. When Bridget and her children, including my grandfather, who was 17 at the time, … Continue reading →